Hormone Replacement Therapy

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Hormone Replacement Therapy: Is It for You?

As the first wave of female baby boomers enters menopause, millions of women are asking themselves, "should I use hormone replacement therapy?"

On one hand, hormone replacement therapy(HRT) can relieve menopausal side effects and provide long-term heart and bone protection. On the other hand, it may put some women at a slightly higher risk for breast and endometrial cancers.

Physicians suggest "it's a very individualized decision." However, the best way to make an informed decision about HRT is to look into your personal and family medical history of breast cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease. After you weighed all the possible benefits and risks, you can make the best decision for you.

What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?

When menopause occurs, a woman's ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Hormone replacement therapy supplies those hormones to offer protection against heart disease, osteoporosis and symptoms of menopause.

Different Kinds of HTR

Sometimes estrogen alone is prescribed; other times both estrogen and progesterone (progestin) are prescribed. Hormone replacement therapy can be given in oral tablets, vaginal creams or patches placed on the skin.

The Benefits of HTR

Hormone replacement therapy helps relieve hot flashes, mood swings, irregular periods, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and other annoying side effects associated with menopause.

In addition, HTR has been shown to offer significant, long-term protection against heart disease, the leading cause of death among women, and osteoporosis (bone loss), which affects one in three women.

Estrogen has been shown to raise the blood level of HDL "good" cholesterol and lower the level of LDL "bad" cholesterol, thereby providing added protection against heart disease. Because of this protective effect, HTR should be considered for women who have heart disease risk factor such as smoking or family history.

Likewise, women with a higher risk for osteoporosis (smokers, Caucasians or Asian women, and those with a small frame or family history) should weigh that risk against their risks for breast and endometrial cancers.

Other benefits associated with long-term use of HTR include a reduced risk of osteoarthritis, colon cancer and memory loss brought on by Alzheimer's disease.

The Risks of HTR

While the benefits of HTR far out-weigh the risks for many women, it's always a good idea to know the potential side effects before taking any medication. The potential side effects of HTR INCLUDE VAGINAL BLEEDING, BREAST TENDERNESS, BLOATING, NAUSEA AND WEIGHT GAIN.

Many women who begin HTR stop using it within several months because of the side effects, particularly breast tenderness. However, you can minimize many discomforts by working with your doctor to adjust your medication and dosage.

Some studies have suggested that taking estrogen may slightly increase a woman's chance of developing breast cancer, so many doctors recommend that women who've had breast cancer or those with a family history of the disease avoid HTR.

Another concern is that estrogen may aggravate pre-existing health conditions like high blood pressure, liver disease and gallstones, and cause blood clots in women with heart disease.

Other risks: A uterus exposed to estrogen without progesterone has an increased risk of developing cancer of the endometrium (lining of the uterus). By adding progestin, however, that risk is virtually eliminated.

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